Peter McParland, a legend of Northern Ireland and Aston Villa, passed away at the age of 91.
The forward, who won 34 World Cup caps, has the most goals scored for his nation in World Cup finals, with five at the 1958 tournament as they advanced to the quarter-finals.
McParland also won praise at Villa, where he had 121 goals in 341 appearances. In the final year of the FA Cup final, Manchester United won it by 2-1 to lift the trophy.
The club announced in a statement that it was “deeply saddened to learn that Peter McParland, the club’s final surviving member from 1957’s FA Cup winning team, has passed away.
McParland spent close to ten years with the club before signing with Villa in 1952.
McParland also won the FA Cup and helped Villa capture the Second Division title from 1959 to 1960.
In the inaugural League Cup final, he scored the extra-time winner that gave them a 3-2 overall victory over Rotherham United.
McParland also worked for England’s Wolves, Plymouth Argyle, and Worcester City, as well as for Canadian teams Atlanta Chiefs and Toronto Inter-Roma.
He spent three years as player-manager at Northern Irish side Glentoran, where he won the league between 1969 and 1970 before retiring in 1971.
In his eight-year international career, McParland scored twice in his debut against Wales.
“Our thoughts and best wishes are with Peter McParland’s family and friends,” the family said.

related subjects
- Men’s football teams from Northern Ireland
- Aston Villa
- Football
- Irish Football
Source: BBC
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